What A Mess: Hurricane Irene Leaves Marlins Spinning in Circles

PHILADELPHIA -- That doubleheader on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park? Never mind. With Hurricane Irene moving quickly up the East Coast, the decision was made a moment ago to postpone the second game of the day-night doubleheader. Instead, the Marlins and Phillies will try to play one game -- at 1:05 p.m. -- though the rains are scheduled to arrive as early as 10 a.m.

The postponed game will now be made up on Sept. 15 in Philadelphia.

The Marlins, who do not play Sunday, are scheduled to play a doubleheader in New York on Monday. But, due to the uncertainty surrounding the storm, the team will remain in Philadelphia throughout the weekend.

Needless to say, there's quite a bit of grumbling among Marlins players and coaches. They were already forced to play a doubleheader in South Florida on Wednesday against the Reds due to the storm, and flew up to Philadelphia on Wednesday night. They spent Thursday in the City of Brotherly Love doing nothing.

Manager Jack McKeon wondered why the Phillies couldn't make up the postponed game in South Florida when they're in town for a scheduled three-game series Sept. 2-4. Reliever Mike Dunn thought the Marlins and Mets should flip-flop their upcoming series, wtih the Mets heading down to Florida for the upcoming Monday-through-Thursday series and the Marlins going back to New York Sept. 5-7 for games scheduled at Sun Life Stadium.

Tomorrow's starters: Anibal Sanchez vs. Roy Halladay.

-- Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is playing in a rehab game tonight for Single A Jupiter. Ramirez, on the disabled list since Aug. 3 with a left shoulder sprain, could return to the Marlins as soon the New York series. But McKeon said it might be better to have Ramirez play several games with the Hammerheads to make sure his shoulder is right before adding him to the Marlins roster, perhaps on Sept. 1 when rosters can expand.